Wolf Eyes, with Prurient and Rusted Shut

Wolf Eyes is the closest that pure, antisocial noise gets to the mainstream. The fact that the notorious Detroit band's latest disc, Burned Mind, is out on Sub Pop (Nirvana's old label, duh) is more of a testament to Sonic Youth main man and Wolf Eyes fanatic Thurston Moore's lingering A&R pull than any actual commercial aspirations on the part of the musicians. "Thurston is great; he would come on stage with us and go totally wild when we toured together," says vocalist, metal banger, electronics tweaker and guitarist Mike Connelly, who replaced Aaron Dilloway after the recording of Burned Mind. Connelly claims the new lineup is going to be even more extreme than previous incarnations. "On a musical level, people can expect lower lows and higher highs," he boasts. "We're getting way more into dynamics these days." With song titles like "Black Vomit" and "Stabbed in the Face," it's plain that Wolf Eyes isn't out to court radio play. But despite the deliberately plodding caveman rhythms, burbling electronic undertow and shard-gargling vocals, Wolf Eyes isn't necessarily trying to scare people off, either. "This is what's fun for us to play and listen to, and it's what our audience likes, too. We just enjoy extreme things," contends Connelly. "We're really looking forward to playing Houston," he adds. The opening act, local noise merchants Rusted Shut, he says, "is one of our favorite bands in the world."